Consequences
by pottergrl15
Summary: Tess was an outsider, and even among her 'family' remains so. When she saved the pod squad from the Skins, something got out and now the fire she used is consuming her. Will she survive? Rebel fic, trailer up.
1. Trailer

**She had always been an outsider**

_Scenes of a blonde girl of various ages flash across the screen, always by herself._

**She had always been different**

_Shows the blonde girl displaying some extraordinary powers_

**But then she found them**

_Closes up to Michael, Isabel, and Max sitting with friends_

**Her family**

_Shows the destiny book, fading into Michael, Isabel, and Max alone_

**Only to find**

_Scenes of Tess first meeting the pod squad flash across the screen_

**That they had forgotten her**

_Shows Max pushing Tess away_

_Shows Isabel avoiding her_

_Shows Michael glaring at her while snooping around_

**She was an outsider again**

_Scenes of everyone having fun while Tess looks on_

**She helped them**

_Shows Tess teaching Michael how to use his powers_

**She supported them**

_Shows Tess talking with Isabel_

**She loved them**

_Shows Tess and Max together_

**They didn't**

_Fades in as the pod squad walks away from her_

**When an act of salvation goes too far**

_Flashback of Tess flaming all the skins shows again_

**She falls ill…**

_Shows Tess hyperventilating in the girl's bathroom_

_Shows Tess leaning against a wall next to a toilet, wiping her mouth_

_Shows Tess fainting_

**The fire consumes her**

_Closes up as Tess lies in a bed unconscious, visible signs of a fever plaguing her_

_Shows fire shooting out of her hands as she sleeps_

**Can they save her?**

_Shows Max reaching out to heal her_

_Shows Isabel and Michael holding a healing stone as Tess sits in the pod chamber_

_Shows Max, Isabel and Michael gathering around her_

**Will they save her?**

_Shows Tess in pain_

_Shows Isabel crying, holding onto Michael_

_Shows Max in tears outside_

**What will they find along the way?**

_Flashes of the past on Antar_

_Flashes of Tess' life with Nasaedo_

_Flashes of the future_

_Fades with scenes of the stars_

_**Consequences**_

A/N - So...I was watching Wipe Out and I started to think of Young Hercules. Hercules used a special fire to change himself, and the fire consumed him and almost destroyed him so it got me thinking about Tess using the fire to stop the Skins. And then I was like, what would happen if the same thing happened to her? Would anyone help her? Would they realize the consequences of their actions towards her before it's too late? So I decided to write this trailer. It'll probably come up after I write some chapters of Young Hercules, but this should hold everyone over till then :)


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

_A boy, barely just a teen stood before a group of people, four others tied to pillars. He was walking past them, sneering at them, "…determine the fate of entire armies with the flip of a coin. Luckily for me, you continue to put your faith in the wrong people…" A ghostly figure emerged from the shadows cast by the pillars, a girl, frightened, blonde hair pulled into a bun as she relived the events of the past. "...the boy who spilled the secret of the granolith to one of our exiled members. Rule number one of war: keep your big mouth shut. Courtney knew that…" She wanted to scream, to do something to stop the boy from speaking, but found that she had not the voice to do so in the warped reality she found herself in. "…killed herself before I could get its exact location…need to know…where's the granolith?"_

_The incorporeal vision of Tess walked next to Nicholas, the boy, to stare at Max, her king. "I'm not telling you," he said as she mimicked his words. She turned to Nicholas, knowing what would happen next._

"_Oh...you will…" he replied lifting his hands sending pain to herself, Isabel, and Michael. She shivered at the memory…for that was what it was…a memory…right?_

_She could barely hear Max shouting over their screams, "Wait! I'll take you there! Just you and me. This has nothing to do with them!"_

_She could barely hear Isabel begging him not to. But she could hear Nicholas, "This is too easy. In the old days, I would've been no match for you. But...now..." She could see him stalking closer to Max, could see him lifting a hand to his head, pulling information from him. _

_Her eyes filled with tears as she watched the scene before her, knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop him. She could only cover her ears to his next words, "Either way, you're going to die, Max. So why don't you just make this easy on yourself?" Cover her ears to block out Max's screams of pain._

_She hugged herself as Nicholas halted his attack, "Ready to tell me now?"_

_She looked to herself, a split moment before she would scream; knowing what was to happen next. She saw herself, saw the raging fire start to build behind her, saw it coming towards her as she released it into the group of skins where she was standing. Her eyes widened as the flames grew larger, the heat grew stronger, and the fire closer till they were right in front of her…_

Tess jumped awake, quickly untangling herself from the sheets that trapped her till she rolled onto the floor. She quickly scurried away from the bed till her back hit Kyle's desk across the room. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to force the dream from her mind.

_I just wanted to scare them…_

She heard own words whispering in her mind as the last lingering memories of the dream played behind her eyes.

_I lost control…_

She brought her hands to her ears, trying in vain to keep from hearing the words she knew were in her head.

…_something completely different…_

She shook her head forcefully finally getting the images to fade. She took a few deep breaths, reopening her eyes to see that she was indeed in Kyle's room at the Valenti household and not standing in a now empty hall of the school with bits of flakey skin floating around her. She sighed; she'd been having that nightmare for the last few days, ever since the skins had been destroyed.

She reached up, grabbing the edge of Kyle's desk to help pull herself to her feet. She looked around the room, the windows were partly open with the curtains billowing slightly in the soft breeze, but Tess felt hot. It was probably just from the nightmare though, so she shook it off and quietly made her way out of the room and into the kitchen, being careful not to wake up Kyle. She silently opened the cupboard and took a small glass cup out before moving onto the freezer where she scooped as many ice cubes as she could into her cup and then filling it with water.

She sighed again, leaning against the counter and taking a long drink from her now cold glass, listening to the ice cubes gently clink against one another. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to clear her mind. She felt drained, tired, with the beginnings of a major migraine. But that was normal, at that hour of the morning. She took one more final sip before placing the cup on the counter and heading back to the room…not realizing that the ice cubes had not made that clinking noise…not noticing that the ice cubes had melted…

A/N – Yeah, a weird place to end it, but I didn't want to give away too much.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Tess sighed as she looked out at the various students all eating lunch in the courtyard of Roswell High. Her gaze was mostly trained on Max, Isabel, and Michael who were all eating lunch with Liz, Maria, and Alex. They were all laughing and happy, just joking and eating each other's food. And there was Tess…sitting off on the other side of the yard, pushing her fruit salad, thickly layered with sugar, around the plate.

"You know, you really should eat something," a voice said from beside her. Tess looked up to see Kyle taking a seat next to her. "I mean, I'm no expert in Alien biology or anything, but everyone has to eat something."

Tess smiled slightly at him, she knew he was worried about her…she was a little worried too…the last few days she just hadn't been very hungry. Kyle knew that…of course he knew, she was living in his house after all.

Tess looked back over to where the gang was sitting in time to see Liz give Max a small peck on the cheek. She felt a small pang in her chest as she watched them, a small buzzing starting in her head. "Why does it still hurt?" she asked out loud, to no one in particular.

"Why does what still hurt?" Kyle asked, thinking she had been talking about him.

Tess nodded off towards the group, and Kyle knew what she was getting at, "I mean, I grew up alone…I'm used to being alone…but why does it bother me that they don't like me?"

"Well…" he started, "They're your family. It's like you said, they're the only other people out there who are just like you. And it hurts when your family leaves you out…or leaves you…" he was thinking of his mother at that last part. He had grown up without one, but seeing others who did have a mother still made him hurt inside. "It'll never go away," he added, "But it helps to know that there are people out there who do accept you and who will never leave you out."

Tess looked up at Kyle, her surrogate brother of sorts, and smiled. She reached out and took the hand that was rested on the table. They both laughed slightly, still confused as to how they could have ever thought there was something romantic between them…they were just too sibling like.

Tess looked up suddenly, her face going two shades paler as she looked around the eating area. Kyle could see the dazed look in her eyes and stood up, watching cautiously as she stood, swaying slightly, almost dizzily.

"You ok?" he asked, hands out ready to catch her should she keel over…which seemed like a very real possibility at the moment.

Tess looked up at him after a moment, "Yeah…yeah, I'm fine…" she looked around, a second more, barely glancing at her oblivious 'family'. "I uh…I forgot something…inside…"

She stepped around the seat of the table, stumbling slightly as she made her way into the school…not noticing the one glance besides Kyle's that followed her…

Tess took a shaky breath as she slammed the door to the Eraser Room shut behind her. Luckily there weren't any hormonal students in there at the moment. She ran a hand quickly over the lock, locking it quickly as she slid down the door to the floor. She couldn't seem to stop breathing heavily, her head throbbing more and more with each breath she took.

She reached up, rubbing her temples trying to numb the stabbing sensation she was feeling right by her temples. After a minute, the stabbing started to fade…it wasn't gone completely…but it had faded slightly. She moved her hands from her temples to rest over her eyes. She took a slow breath…feeling slightly better…when the bell rang loudly above her.

She groaned, dropping her hands, letting out a frustrated sigh…today just wasn't her day. She stood up a little wobbly but managed to calm herself. She stepped quickly out of the Eraser Room, barely noticed by anyone, and proceeded to rush to her next class…Shakespearian Plays…which she unfortunately had with Max…great…

Tess plopped down in her chair just seconds before the late bell rang. She made it…barely…She looked up to see that Mr. Estin had written more notes on the board. That was how he began every class, notes followed by lecture, followed by reading. She sighed, opening her notebook to a fresh page and beginning to take notes.

"You ok?" someone whispered.

She looked up to see Max had sat next to her, and was looking at her concerned. She stared at him in confusion for a moment; he glanced down at her hand before looking back into her eyes. She looked down; the hand that held her pen was shaking slightly. She looked back up at him and nodded before quickly placing her attention back to her notes, trying her best to ignore Max's concerned glance the rest of the period.

A/N – Next Chappy should be about Michael possibly catching on to Tess not being up to par during a training session…not sure…Oh, one other thing. Time line is just after Prom, Max and Tess didn't kiss though, Max and Liz kinda made up instead.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Tess shut her eyes tightly as she once again rubbed her forehead. Her headaches were becoming more and more frequent in the past few days. No matter what she tried, the headaches wouldn't leave her. She didn't know if aliens were susceptible to human medications or not…or even if they suffered the same affects as humans did…she had finished off a whole bottle of Tylenol in only the last few days…nothing helped.

She flinched slightly as a small explosion occurred in the room she was standing in. She opened her eyes to a squint to see that Michael had succeeded in his next exercise. Once he conquered blowing up rocks, Tess moved him onto metals. You never know if someone would end up holding a gun or another weapon at you and you needed to get rid of it quickly.

She took a deep breath, preparing to smile and applaud his success…but that breath might have not been the best idea in the world. As soon as she inhaled, the air went straight to her stomach and what little food she had in there…was not reacting well at all. She could feel the bile about to rise to her throat.

"Michael?" she started softly, "Can I…use your bathroom?"

Without even looking up at her, for Michael was far too focused on the task at hand, he nodded, "Yeah, uh, second door on the right."

Tess nodded slightly before walking towards the small hall that would lead to her goal. She stumbled slightly as she reached the corner of the hall, falling a little to lean against it. This small action was what drew Michael's attention away from his metals, and it was her slightly heaving shoulders of a person trying to contain something that drew his concern. He watched as Tess pushed herself off the wall, possibly still thinking that he had not looked up, and disappeared down the hall.

Michael stood there eyeing the corridor until he heard the door to his bathroom shut firmly. It was then and only then that he moved from his spot…down the hall and towards the bathroom. He stood next to the door, there was a strange sound coming from behind it. His eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and concern as he leaned in closer. He stood there motionless for a moment, when his eyes widened with recognition.

He knew what Tess was doing in there; he could hear her vomiting through the door. His doors were not the thickest ones in the world…he could hear the sounds of her purging almost as clearly as if he had been in the room with her…which at this point he thought might have been a better place to be…in there helping her, checking on her, rather than standing in the hallway merely listening.

He was about to reach for the doorknob when the sound of the toilet flushing reached his ear. He quickly removed his hands from the knob and took a step back. The sounds of running water could be heard for a few moments before it shut off. Michael's eyes widened as he quickly walked back to his living room, he waved his hands over a few of the metal blocks on his table, making them look as though he had blown them up.

He glanced up just in time to see Tess appear from the hall, "Hey," he started, studying her, "You ok?"

He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed until now…but Tess was unnaturally pale. Sure, she was always a little fairer than the other girls, but now she was almost sickeningly pale. He could see bags forming under her eyes, her eyes not even as bright as they had been. Her whole appearance, from her hair to her posture to her clothes screaming to him that something was wrong.

But she still managed to smile at him. He could tell that it was forced though; he could tell that she was willing herself to look fine so that he wouldn't worry. It hit him hard as he realized that a few weeks ago, he wouldn't have cared enough to notice that she was faking. "Yeah," she said shaking her head slightly, "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason," Michael said, he glanced at the last few blocks before looking back up at Tess, "Listen, I'm kinda tired, why don't we pick this up tomorrow or something?"

Tess' face hardened slightly, before she laughed…a hoarse laugh, he noted, "Well too bad Guerin," she said, smiling again, "No pain…no gain, you finish those blocks and then you can take a break."

His eyes narrowed slightly, he could see that she was pushing herself to say that. He could tell she wanted that break, that chance to rest a hell of a lot more than he did…but she wasn't willing to say anything…

He shook his head, turning back to the blocks. He didn't know what was wrong with her…but there was _something_ wrong. And he was going to find out what it was if it was the last thing he did.

A/N – Short, I know, but I didn't want to give away too much. Next chappy should be something with Isabel trying to re-establish her friendship with Tess…and getting a huge scare…wonder what that could be?


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Tess shuffled her feet as she entered the Evan's house following Isabel. During Prom, Isabel had gone out to take a break from the dancing and found Tess sitting outside. She must have been feeling great due to her date with Alex, and had actually taken the initiative to talk to Tess. They hadn't talked for that long, but it was enough to remind Tess how much she missed having a girl to talk to. Apparently, it also reminded Isabel as well for she had asked Tess to come to her house some time after the Prom to just hang out.

So that's what they were doing. It had taken a while for Isabel to get back to her with a date to hang out, what with Tess training Michael and Isabel and Alex now together…oh yeah, and Max's utter detestation of Tess. But they had finally done it, finally picked out a day…today…

But now…Tess really wished Isabel had picked a different day. She hadn't been feeling well all day…well, for the past few days actually…ok, she hadn't been feeling well for a couple weeks. But it was nothing like how she'd been feeling the last few days. Her head was pounding and it didn't go away, her limbs felt stiff, she'd been having trouble breathing sometimes after she moved, she hadn't been eating period. Whenever she tried, it just came back up in the end, even food smothered with Tabasco sauce and sugar didn't help. It hurt just to move and she'd been feeling dizzy for a couple hours now.

But Isabel really wanted to hang out. Ever since school ended, she'd been talking of nothing else. She'd gabbed on and on about all the things that they had to catch up on and what not…maybe that was what was giving her headache a boost?

She shook her head, resting against the couch as Isabel went to hang up her coat. She rested her head against her hand, willing the throbbing to go down. She scrunched her eyes shut, the light in the room and the bright colors were starting to hurt her eyes.

"Hey I'm gonna grab a Snapple you want one?" Isabel asked, throwing her backpack on the ground walking past Tess, not even noticing the other girl's obvious discomfort.

Tess looked up, squinting as she watched Isabel make her way towards the kitchen, "Uh…yeah…sure…"

She shut her eyes again, the room had started to spin the moment she'd opened her eyes…

Isabel rummaged through the fridge, scouting around for the Snapple. She growled inwardly, she really had to start hiding some Snapple. Michael always drank Snapple whenever he came over…which was everyday. She was honestly surprised that she was even able to find the last two bottles of Snapple that were stashed in the back behind the orange juice. She rolled her eyes; Michael probably put them there.

Well, too bad. She smirked to herself as she straightened up and headed back to the living room where she'd left Tess, shutting the fridge behind her. She started humming the song that she and Alex had first kissed during under her breath. "Hey Tess I hope orange is ok with you it's the only kind we ha…" she called, turning around the corner to the living room when she stopped short. There lying on the floor was the unconscious form of Tess. "Oh my god Tess!"

The Snapple fell from her hands, completely forgotten, as she ran to Tess' side. She knelt beside her, shaking her, calling her name trying to get her to wake up. She was about to get up and call Max's cell phone when Tess groaned and finally opened her eyes.

She blinked rapidly, staring up at Isabel, "Isabel?" she asked, confused for a moment, "Why am I on the floor?"

Isabel let out a relieved sigh and hugged the girl for what was probably the first time ever. "God Tess," she murmured, "You scared me! I walked in here and you were just on the ground and…"

"Oh!" Tess said, as Isabel pulled away, "Sorry…I…I haven't been getting that much sleep lately…I guess…I'm just really tired…"

Isabel sighed, "Maybe you should go back to the Valenti's and get some rest." She helped the girl to stand, noticing for the first time how pale and unsteady she was. "We can hang out later when you feel better."

Tess smiled softly, not able to argue now…she really did feel like crap, but she was also happy that Isabel did want to hang out again. "Sure…thanks Is…"

And with that, Isabel watched as the shaky girl walked out of her house. She looked around for a moment after Tess had left…already starting to worry about if she'd get to the house or not...but there wasn't really anyone she could call at that point. Jim was at work and Kyle was a football. She walked with purpose to the phone, dialing in a familiar number and waiting for someone to pick up.

After a moment a tired and bored, "Hello?" answered her.

"Michael…It's Isabel…" she started, "I have to talk to you about something…" she sighed, "I think there's something wrong with Tess…"

A/N – I'm going to leave it off here, it's short...I know. The next chapter should be about the pod squad starting to actually realize just how sick Tess actually is.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Isabel paced nervously by her locker as she waited for Michael to show up. School had just ended and Tess had not been there. Isabel had called Kyle as soon as she knew he'd be home from practice and he'd told her that Tess had arrived home safely and was currently sleeping when they had hung up. She'd talked to Michael just before that and had found out that Tess had been sick when she'd trained him a few days before. According to Michael she had thrown up in the middle of the training…but that she didn't know that Michael knew.

Isabel had told him about what had happened, how Tess had passed out in her living room. They had both expressed their worry about the girl…true they hadn't been very receptive of her in the beginning…but somehow she had managed to worm her way into their lives. They were worried about her, really worried about her. In fact, Isabel hadn't felt this worried since Michael got sick after seeing River Dog. Michael could still recall exactly how he felt when he'd been sick…the only time he'd ever been sick…and had assured Isabel that Tess wasn't suffering from the same thing. Whatever was making her ill was acting much slower than his own illness. But that didn't help calm her down much…especially after Tess failed to attend school.

They had both tried tracking down Kyle to ask him about Tess, but he'd avoided them. It was almost like he knew what they wanted to talk about. In the back of Isabel's mind, she really couldn't blame him for avoiding them. They had never really shown an interest or a trust even in Tess before, why should they be so worried about her now? He probably thought that they only wanted to see if she was alright because they would need her alien information later. Isabel shook her head; she knew that's what it looked like…all thanks to Max. He was the one who had told them all to keep their distance from Tess, but then he would always have them go back to her for help…before pushing her away again.

But that wasn't how it actually was for Isabel. She really did want to have Tess as a friend. She was the only other girl that Isabel could talk to about alien things, girl things, and hybrid things. They understood each other; their tastes and interests were very similar. She could tell that Michael felt almost the same as well. Tess was the only one he could go to about alien business, information about his powers and their planet could only be given through her. He'd spent his life trying to learn about their planet and their pasts and Tess knew both.

She started to fidget slightly, where was he?! They were supposed to meet after school and walk to the Valenti's to check on Tess. They didn't…well; she knew she didn't…want Tess to be alone in the house when she was sick. There was just so much that could go wrong. She was about to just up and leave when she saw Michael walking around the corner…Maria close on his heels. She squinted, it seemed like they were arguing…they'd been doing that a lot lately. Ever since Prom, things had been going down hill for them. It seemed that Michael didn't like Maria's lack of trust in him and always tried to get her way. He didn't want to go to Prom, but she'd forced it on him, so he'd tried to get dance lessons, and she'd flipped on him saying he'd been cheating on her!

Isabel shook her head, honestly, those two…

Michael had most likely just shouted at Maria because she huffed and turned on her heel, rushing off down the hall. "What was that about?" she asked as he came up to her, letting out a relieved sigh.

He shook his head, "She wanted to spend time together, I told her I had important things to do…" he trailed, unsure of whether to tell her the rest of the conversation or not…but this was Isabel, he always told her everything, "…then she saw you and asked if I was going on a date with you." He laughed slightly, almost forcefully, "How crazy is that right? You and me on a date?"

Isabel laughed too, before it faded into an awkward silence. Neither knowing what to say, neither knowing what that small ping in their stomachs at the mention of dating each other meant. "So…ready to go?" Isabel asked, successfully changing the topic.

"Yeah…" Michael said nodding and briskly walking off with Isabel beside him.

They walked the entire way to the Valenti's…which wasn't really that far from the school so it wasn't that big of a deal. The sheriff was at work like they expected, his patrol car wasn't there, neither was his truck, which Kyle used to get to and from school. For a moment, Isabel wondered why Kyle wasn't at home; he always seemed like a really caring brotherly type. But then Isabel remembered what Michael had said about his training session with Tess. She had forced him to keep going even though she herself wanted to give in. Of course she would tell Kyle she was fine and make him go to football so he wouldn't worry about her.

Using his powers, Michael unlocked the front door of the Valenti home and quietly pushed the door open. They didn't want to scare Tess, to make her think someone had broken in. He had no idea where Kyle's room was, but Isabel did, so she led the way to the small room. The door was open a crack and she pushed it open a little more so that they could see.

And there she was…

Tess was laying on Kyle's bed, locked in a fitful sleep. Her face was scrunched in pain, and even from that distance away, they could see her forehead and hair was matted with sweat. She was lying on top of the covers, obviously hot. She fidgeted slightly in her sleep, her breathing very uneven.

Isabel was about to go in there and check on her, wake her up, do something to see if she was alright, but Michael's hand on her arm held her in place. "Come on…" he whispered, pulling her away from the door.

He led her out of the house, noticing her shell-shocked expression; whatever she'd expected when they'd come to see Tess…this hadn't been it. Once they were outside, Isabel finally spoke, "She looks really sick," she said, still staring at nothing at all, "I mean really sick…"

"I know," Michael said, running a hand through his hair.

"We don't get sick Michael," she stated.

"I know." He repeated, trying to think. The only person they could go to if they were sick would be Max…but lately it seemed that he'd been spending more and more time with Liz…they doubted he even noticed that Tess hadn't been in school that day.

No…they'd have to try to help her themselves…but how?

A/N – So…next chapter will probably be Michael and Isabel's attempt to help Tess. Possibly, Max becoming suspicious of something…not sure yet. This is all I'll be posting for today, I'm about to go to a fourth of July party thing...and I probably won't be back till late...enjoy!


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

He was worried…really worried. He hadn't seen Tess at all yesterday in school. He felt a little bad…he hadn't noticed that she wasn't there till Chemistry third period. During that period, Max Evans found himself partnerless…till Mr. Steigman had told Liz to join him for the lab just for the day. After that, he'd spent the entire day trying to find out if Tess was actually in school or not. She wasn't…so he'd tried to track down Kyle. He hadn't managed to catch the boy till seventh period.

Kyle had tried to avoid the issue of Tess when Max had finally cornered him. But eventually he'd gotten the guy to talk. He'd said that Tess was sick, but that he'd just called her in between fifth and sixth period where she'd said she was feeling better. So now Max was standing by his locker the next day, waiting to see if Tess was feeling up to coming to school.

Liz was by his side like always, talking to him about the date they'd just gone on the night before. She'd been doing that a lot lately, ever since Prom, she'd been clinging to his arm a lot, talking nonstop as if to constantly remind him that she was there and he was with her. But right now, his attention was as far from Liz as the moon was from the earth. His eyes were trained on the locker down the hall where his sister and Michael were talking to Kyle Valenti.

He didn't know what they were talking about down there…and honestly…he didn't really care. He was watching that locker as if willing the girl who used it to appear. And before he knew it…a ball of blonde hair appeared before the locker. He blinked rapidly s if he weren't sure that she was really there. But she was. Tess was standing there talking with Kyle, Isabel and Michael.

He smiled gently before he felt a small tugging on his arm. He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at Liz's persistence as he allowed himself to be pulled towards homeroom and away from the blonde that had captivated his attention…

"Tess, are you sure you're alright?" Isabel asked again as she watched Tess trying to put her combination into her locker…it wasn't working very well, the girl's hands were trembling.

"Yeah…I'm fine," she said, swallowing hard, her throat felt raw.

"Here let me," Kyle said, opening her locker for her, she smiled at him in thanks as he handed her her books.

Michael stood there, beside Isabel, watching the girl before him. He couldn't believe how frail she looked. Even as she was trying to appear fine and strong, he noticed the minute things that told him otherwise. Her trembling hands, her hoarse voice, the slight bags under her eyes that she hadn't fully been able to cover with makeup, her limp hair, the dullness in her eyes, the rise and fall of her shoulders as her breaths grew shorter. He narrowed his eyes, as he watched her shut her locker, her body was shaking now as if she had chills.

His analysis of the hybrid was cut off as the bell for homeroom sounded. Students rushed around him heading for their homerooms and before he knew it, the halls were empty besides for him, Isabel, Kyle, and Tess.

Tess took a shaky breath, "I guess we better get to homeroom…" she started off down the hall, stumbling slightly as she went, "You wouldn't…wouldn't want to…be late…"

She stopped, her hand flying to her head as she fell against the lockers next to her. With the reflexes he hadn't thought he possessed, Michael was at her side, catching her just before she hit the ground. His eyes widened in fear as he felt the girl shaking in his arms. He looked up to see a terrified Isabel rushing towards him, followed by a worried Kyle.

"What happened?" Kyle asked, kneeling down beside his surrogate sister. He knew he should have never agreed to let her come to school that day; she'd thrown up just that morning.

"I don't know," Michael said, glancing at the girl before looking at Isabel.

"We have to get her to the healing stones," Isabel said. She'd been thinking about it since yesterday afternoon, the healing stones were probably the best option other than going to Max.

Michael nodded, standing as he scooped Tess into his arms. Kyle looked around the empty halls, he'd have to tell her teachers that she'd be out and let the office know…he couldn't leave. He turned to Isabel, "Take my car," he said tossing her the keys.

Isabel caught the keys easily, rushing off down the hall after Michael, calling a quick thanks over her shoulder.

IOI

"Michael why isn't it working?!" Isabel nearly shouted, staring at the healing stone dimly glowing in her hands.

"I don't know," he answered, growing frustrated. They had driven madly to the pod chamber, gently laying Tess down and setting some of the other healing stones around her while they picked up two and knelt beside her.

They didn't know how long they'd been in there for, but nothing was happening. The only good thing they could see was that Tess wasn't getting any worse than when they'd brought her in.

Isabel was about to say something more when the sound of groaning reached her ears, she looked down to see Tess starting to wake up. The light of the healing stones dimmed as Tess struggled to sit up. Isabel immediately leaned forward, helping her. "Tess are you ok?" she asked, knowing how stupid it was to ask that, considering how Tess had just collapsed in the halls of the school.

"I…I…um…" Tess said, struggling slightly to breath.

"Don't you dare lie Tessa," Michael said seriously. Tess looked up at him, rubbing her chest as she continued to breath heavily. He never called her Tessa unless something was seriously bothering him, "Now tell us what's wrong with you?"

She let out a sigh as her breaths came a little easier, "I…I don't know…"

A/N – So, that's the end of this chapter. Next one should be more about Max stepping up to help.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

His leg bobbed up and down as he nervously awaited the arrival of his sister and Michael. Max was seated in the Crashdown, Liz waiting tables with Maria as he and Kyle sat in a booth to themselves. He'd been walking down the halls this morning when out of nowhere, Kyle Valenti had pulled him to the side and began talking very fast.

Max had had no idea what the boy had been talking about until Tess was mentioned. At that point, he knew why Kyle was talking so rapidly and looked so distressed. Something must have happened to Tess, and by the way Kyle was reacting…it was something bad. He hadn't been able to get another coherent word out of Kyle at the moment, the bell had rung. So they agreed to meet up after school at the Crashdown where Kyle could finally tell him what had happened.

But that probably hadn't been the best idea in the world. They should have agreed to meet the next period and talk then…but their classes from that point on were on the opposite ends of the building. So that left Max freaked out the entire day wondering what had happened, wondering if he should just go to the Valenti's and check on her, wondering where Isabel and Michael were. Yet again, there were problems with that as well. He didn't know for sure that Tess was at the Valenti's…for all he knew, if it was really serious then she might have risked going to the hospital…and if it was serious enough where _Tess_ of all people needed help…he couldn't think about it. He knew that Isabel and Michael were with Tess; all he'd heard from Kyle were the words, Isabel, Michael, chamber, and Tess.

Again…he hadn't seen Isabel or Michael all day for that matter either. For them to be out, all day, with Tess only added to his worry. What could have happened to Tess that was so serious that both Isabel and Michael were with her for hours now?

And then he found out. Kyle had told him all about how Tess hadn't been feeling well for the past couple of weeks. How she hadn't been eating or keeping things down, how she'd had trouble sleeping and even breathing a little, and especially about her fever. Max cursed himself, he knew something was wrong with Tess…he just _knew_ she looked off. But he hadn't done anything…hadn't even bothered to ask her what was wrong or if she was ok. Though, he had a feeling that even if he had asked her, she would have lied to make him not worry.

He should have done something! Anything! Michael and Isabel had no problem setting aside their issues with her to help her out. He sighed, rubbing his eyes, who was he kidding? They didn't have any issues with Tess. Had it not been for him, Isabel would probably have been her best friend by now and Michael would probably have a better grip on his powers. They didn't have problems with her…he did…

Kyle moved suddenly to look at the doors of the Crashdown. In his thoughts, Max hadn't noticed the bell above the door jingle nor Michael and Isabel making their way towards them. He was about to smile, fully expecting them to say that the healing stones worked and that Tess was the picture of perfect health…but the looks on their faces killed his smile before it could even form.

Isabel threw a set of keys to Kyle, "Tess is at your house," she said, "Your dad's there…"

Kyle seemed confused for a minute as to why his father would be home when he should be at work, "We didn't want to leave her alone," Michael answered.

The tone of his voice must have jumpstarted Kyle for his leapt out of the seat and practically flew out the door. Isabel sighed as she and Michael slipped into the booth across from Max. Michael unconsciously pulled Isabel closer to him, his arm around her in a comforting gesture, even Max could see that she was upset. They sat in silence for a while before Max finally spoke.

"It didn't work," he asked, "did it?"

Michael shook his head, a grim expression on his face, "No, we tried for hours, but nothing happened."

Isabel was staring at the table from her position leaning against Michael, looking as though she were about to cry, "I just…don't understand," she muttered, "They should have worked…but she…" she took a breath, shaking her head, "She couldn't breath…for a little while, she couldn't breath…"

"What?" Max asked, his eyes widening in fear.

Michael nodded, "Yeah, she's pretty bad Maxwell. She couldn't even stand up when we left, I carried her."

Isabel swallowed hard, "She fell asleep on the way back…we tried to wake her up when we got to the Valenti's…but she didn't…" she couldn't finish her sentence, the ideas running through her head about Tess too horrible to bare.

"Do you…do you think…" Max started, "I should take a look at her?"

Isabel stared at him, "You…want to?" she asked. It wasn't a secret that Max didn't care much for Tess. Isabel actually felt guilty for a moment, thinking that Max wouldn't even care enough to try to help Tess. But this was her brother; he would always help anyone in need.

He nodded, and Michael actually smiled, he had faith in Max, he knew he'd help Tess, "Let's go."

IOI

The drive to Tess' house was eerily quiet; no one spoke since no one knew what to say. Isabel was terrified as they got nearer to the Valenti's, a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that something was wrong…but she shook it off. Max was going to help Tess, he'd heal her, and soon she'd be back to normal.

They pulled up to the Valenti's and quickly ran to the door, a light rain had begun to fall and they didn't care to get wet. They knocked on the door, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. As Isabel was about to bang on the door again, Jim appeared, a weary expression on his face. But his eyes lit up slightly when he saw that Max was there, he'd started thinking along the lines of Isabel, that Max could heal her.

Over the last month or two, Tess had become a part of his family, a daughter he'd never had. He felt so helpless to have her sick in bed when he couldn't do anything to help her…especially because it is most likely alien related.

He let them in and quickly led them to Kyle's room, where Tess was lying on the bed once again. Max immediately went to her side and knelt down beside the bed. He reached out a hand, hovering it just above her forehead, he didn't even have to touch her skin to feel the heat radiating off her body. But he gently touched her head, stroking her hair slightly before resting it on her forehead. "Tess," he whispered, "Tess…I need you to open your eyes…I need you to look at me…Tess. Tess?"

Tess didn't move, didn't open her eyes. "She won't wake up," a voice said from behind them all. They turned around to see Kyle standing in the doorway, unshed tears in his eyes. "I…I think she's in a coma…"

A/N – Yes, Tess is in a coma! OMG! What will the Pod Squad do now? Max can't heal her with out a connection…or is there one he just doesn't know about yet? Next chapter should be Isabel taking drastic measures to find out what's wrong with Tess.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

She was in a daze; she had been all week, ever since she and Michael had tried to heal Tess with the healing stones. Max had wanted to go and heal Tess, to make her better, which Isabel was thankful for…but he couldn't. Tess wouldn't open her eyes, and Kyle knew why. He'd told them that since he'd gotten home he'd tried waking her up…tried everything from shaking her, tickling her, pinching her, throwing water on her, he even admitted to smacking her once when he'd gotten scared. His father had tried waking her up before he'd gotten home and hadn't succeeded. So he'd gone to his mother's old medical journals, his mother was a nurse, and tried to find out what might be wrong, why she wasn't waking up. And he'd found it…to be in a coma a person must be unresponsive and unarousable though still alive. And that was Tess in a nutshell.

She had cried, she admitted it; the tears she'd been holding back had flowed down her cheeks at the first mention of a coma. She knew what happened to comatose people…they died…they usually always did unless they had extreme medical help and they couldn't get that for Tess.

But for however bad she felt, she knew Max felt worse. He could heal her, he could save her, but he wouldn't be able to. He couldn't heal unless a connection was made, unless he could look into Tess' eyes and connect with her. Even if she and Michael held open the poor girl's eyelids, he wouldn't be able to connect either.

She could see the effect that the whole thing was having on her brother. He walked around ignoring pretty much everyone except her and Michael, and sometimes Kyle. He'd even taken to ignoring Liz. Isabel shook her head at this; Tess must have meant more to him than he let himself believe if he was pushing away his supposed soul mate due to his thoughts about Tess. She could only imagine what was going on in his head. He'd told her about everything that he and Tess had talked of in New York. And she knew that he was feeling guilty for taking her for granted. Once he'd even told Isabel that he found comfort in the fact that Tess would always be there for him…and now she may never be again…

She cut off that thought where it started. She couldn't think like that, she had to stay positive…for the Valentis at least. Kyle and Jim had been taking every other day off to care for Tess, trying to cool her temperature with a cold compress, trying to feed her soft things like Applesauce with extra sugar in it. They didn't really know what she'd be able to handle, but they knew enough to stick to her alien tastes, unsure of whether her body would reject regular human food.

"…say I understand," a voice said from beside her. She looked over and realized that Alex had been talking to her the entire time she'd been at her locker.

"I'm sorry Alex," she said, turning to face him, rubbing her head, "What were you saying?"

Alex smiled softly, he knew a little about what was happening with Tess, they all did. Max, Isabel, and Michael had called him, Liz, and Maria to the Crashdown a few days after Tess stopped coming to school, to tell them about what happened. Needless to say, Maria's first reaction was suspicion. She didn't believe that Tess was really sick; she'd even said that to the pod squad's faces. He would have laughed last night at the look on Michael's face, like he was going to kill Maria for suggesting such a thing, when he'd realized that he was serious. To top it off, Liz tried defending Maria slightly by stating the aliens' previous health record…perfect health. In response to that, Michael had dragged Maria out of the Crashdown and disappeared. When they finally came back, Maria was pale and looked slightly sick as she claimed that she believed them. Tess really was sick.

"I wanted to say that I understand," he repeated.

"Understand what?" Isabel asked.

"I understand that you want to be with Michael," he said. Isabel looked slightly shocked that he would say that but he quickly continued. Isabel was always one to deny her feelings and he knew she needed someone who understood her better than he ever could, "I've seen the way you look at each other, how comfortable you are with each other. You've been spending a lot of time with him lately, and I know you're going to say that it's all because of Tess being sick, but I don't believe that, not really. You guys have a lot more in common than we ever will, you understand each other, and I know you both care about each other. He really loves you Is," he said. It was true; he could see it in her eyes, that she knew it too. Michael had broken things off with Maria a few days ago, and Alex had seen the way that Michael looked at Isabel, how he looked at her when he was with Maria…like she was the only girl in the world that got him.

"Thank you Alex," she whispered as she leaned into hug him.

He smiled as he hugged her back, "You're very welcome," he murmured, "It's been a dream…"

"What?" Isabel asked, pulling away quickly, staring at him.

"Everything we have," he answered, "It's been like a dream come true, but you always wake up in the end so I wanted to tell you that…"

"Oh my god!" she shouted, hugging him again, "Alex you're a genius!"

"Umm…thanks?" he said watching as she took off down the hall, pulling Michael and Max away from their lockers as she did so.

IOI

"Are you sure this will work Is?" Michael asked as he watched Isabel digging though a small pile of pictures, "I mean, she's not technically asleep…"

"I know," she said, finally finding the picture she was looking for. It was of prom; everyone was standing around just smiling and everything. It was the only picture she had of Tess, now that she thought of it, "But it has to work. It worked for you Max, when you were in the white room, you weren't really asleep either."

Max flinched at the mention of the white room, but understood where his sister was coming from. If she was able to dream walk Tess, she might be able to find out what was wrong with her. He nodded as Isabel lay down on her bed, "Be careful," he said, the last thing he wanted was for her to catch whatever Tess had.

She nodded, gently running her fingers over Tess' picture as she shut her eyes…

_She was bombarded with heat the moment she opened her eyes. She looked around, it felt like she was in an oven; almost everything was bathed in red light. She looked around, it seemed like there were monitors plastered at odd angles on a series of walls. Each monitor was playing something, as she looked closely she could see Tess at various stages in her life. They must be her memories…_

_But she didn't have time to think on that, she had to find Tess. She concentrated and when she opened her eyes once more she was in a pitch-black room. She'd thought that something had happened when suddenly flames shot to life in the middle of the room. There was a ring of flames with a figure lying in the middle of it._

_Here eyes widened in fear as she tried to get closer to the flames, but found that she could get more than within a few feet of them before the heat got too much for her. The roar of the flames was almost deafening, "Tess!" she shouted, praying that the girl would hear her over the noise, "Tess!"_

_"Isabel?" the girl shouted, as she tried to sit up, struggling a little before she finally could. She really couldn't sit up that much, as she did the tops of the flames joined up, forming a sort of dome around her, trapping her._

_"Tess what's going on!" she shouted again, "What is all this?"_

_"Look around!" Tess answered. And Isabel did so. All around her monitors appeared, each playing a time when Tess had used fire to fight something. There were only about four monitors. The first was when she'd just come out of the pod, seeing a scary man looming over her she'd brought up a fire wall between them…the second, when she seemed a little older, she and Nasaedo were on the run and he'd had her start a fire in a police car to distract the men…the third,_ _she was a teenager, running from Nasadeo, her foot prints in the grass starting fires behind her…and the last, was when they'd fought the skins. "I've barely had control over the fire!" Tess answered Isabel's unspoken question, "I can't any more!"_

_"The fire's doing this?!" Isabel asked, her eyes wide. She knew that if you didn't have complete control over a power, then things might go wrong…but she never thought it could go this wrong._

_Tess nodded in the fire dome, "I can't control it!"_

_Isabel shook her head, Tess had said before that she didn't know what was wrong…but then a thought struck her. This was Tess' subconscious, where she could figure out thing before knowing them completely. Of course her subconscious would know what was going on before she did. "How do we stop it?" Isabel said, "We tried the healing stones, but they didn't work!"_

_Tess shook her head, "The healing stones aren't strong enough!" she answered, "Only Max is."_

_This time Isabel shook her head, "The healing stones are stronger than Max!"_

_"No they're not!" she replied, "Max stopped cancer, he can stop anything…he just has to…"_

_She trailed off and for a moment Isabel was terrified that Tess had gotten worse, but then the girl spoke again, "He has to want to…but he doesn't!"_

_"Yes he does!" Isabel shouted, the roaring of the fire getting louder, "He wants to help you Tess. But he can't if you don't open your eyes. He needs a connection and…"_

_"He can't heal me if he doesn't feel a connection," Tess finished. Isabel nodded, "But he does…" the fire blazed higher as Tess looked frightened for a moment, she had to get Isabel out of there, "Not all connections made through the eyes…"_

_And with that, she threw out her hand, sending Isabel flying backwards, through a very specific monitor that Tess had thought up, and into the real world._

Isabel shot up in her bed, feeling the sweat lining her brow, she was hot…the room was hot…and the flash she'd experienced just before she'd woken…she couldn't…

She ran out of the room, followed by a worried Max and Michael, and into the kitchen where she'd pulled out an ice pack from the freezer and placed it on her head to cool her down.

"What happened?" Michael asked.

Isabel opened her eyes, ignoring his question as she marched straight up to Max…and slapped him…

A/N – So…why did Isabel slap him? What flash did she have that explained everything? You'll find out soon…but just to explain some things. Tess conjured the monitor with a memory of Antar on it, when Isabel crashed through it; the memory was transferred to her in the form of a flash…just so you know.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"What was that for?" Max asked, holding his cheek. That was not something that he'd been expecting, for his sister to slap him out of nowhere.

Isabel glared at him, "You…you…" she let out a frustrated groan, she couldn't put into words how much she was hating her brother right now. "You could have helped her!"

"What?" Max asked, shaking his head, "I tried, Is, you know that, she didn't open her eyes and…"

"Not all connections are formed through the eyes," she replied cryptically, repeating what Tess had told her moments before.

And now, she knew what Tess had meant. That flash…she'd seen what Tess had been trying to tell her.

"What are you talking about Is?" Michael asked, putting a calming hand on her shoulder.

Isabel sighed, walking back into her room and lying down on her bed, "I had a flash," she said, "Just before I woke up…"

"And?" Max asked, wondering what sort of flash would get her to slap him.

"And…it was of your wedding Max," she answered, "Your wedding to Tess on Antar. I saw it…you have a connection with Tess already, you're just not tapping into it."

"What?" he asked, utterly confused. Yes, he knew he was married to Tess on Antar, but they were on Earth now…

She sighed again, "On Antar, there's a ritual that you can do during a wedding ceremony, that unites the souls." She rubbed her head, the information was so new, "You…Zan…had that done for him and Ava. Their souls were connected."

Max stared at her. He didn't want to believe what she was saying. No, it…it couldn't be true…Liz was his soul mate. They had seen into each other's eyes, into their souls…not him and Tess.

"You're trying to deny it, aren't you Maxwell?" Michael asked, starting to realize what Isabel was talking about. Max had a connection to Tess, one that would allow him to heal her without having to 'look into her eyes', and because he was refusing his alien side, he was refusing the connection, ignoring it and stopping him from healing Tess.

"No…I…" he bowed his head, "Yeah…I am…"

"And that's why I slapped you Max," Isabel replied, "Max, you have to accept being an alien, accept Tess, or else she's going to die. Max, do you understand that? She's going to die!"

Max looked away…his heart ached at the mention of Tess dieing and he felt fear. True, unadulterated fear. He'd never been this scared for someone…ever…he wasn't even this scared when Liz had been shot, and that was probably what was shaking him up so bad. The fact that he wanted to accept his alien side if it meant helping Tess, saving her…having her back.

He had to admit, this entire week, Tess had consumed his thoughts. Liz hadn't even crossed his mind when she'd been standing right next to him. When had that happened? A week ago, the only thing he'd be thinking about was where he could take Liz for their next date, and now it was how quickly he could get to Tess' side and save her.

He sighed, he knew that his choice was going to make one relationship stronger, while completely shattering another one. "Let's go…"

A/N – Yay! Max wants to save her! I know that this chapter is short…really short…it's really just a filler for the next chapter. The next one is probably going to be the last one. I know! It ended so soon!


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Max hesitated in the doorway of Kyle's room, his eyes falling on the sick girl lying on his bed. She looked so helpless and pale, he cursed himself for pushing her away from him, she needed him! He was the only one who could help her and he'd kept his distance for fear of hurting his precious Liz…now the thought sickened him.

He made his way to the bed, kneeling down beside it, beside her. He stared at her face, unable to keep his hand from reaching out on its own to stroke her damp hair. He could hear her ragged breathing; she was really struggling with each breath she took. How could he have let her get this bad?

He looked over his shoulders; Isabel and Michael were standing in the doorway, watching him, Isabel's eyes shining with hope and confidence. She knew he could do it…now he just had to feel the same way. He took a breath, returning his attention to the girl in need.

He shut his eyes, resting a hand on her forehead and one on her stomach, concentrating. He wasn't focused on her though, no…he had to reach into himself and find his alien side first. It was easy to find it; it was always there, always in the back of his mind, always being pushed back. When he'd first discovered his powers, when he'd healed Liz, even when he'd first met Tess, he'd been pushing it away, trying his hardest to bury that part of him deep inside. But now he was glad that Tess kept forcing it to the surface, he knew it was there…now all he had to do was plunge into it, tap into that connection that Zan shared with Ava…the one he knew he shared with Tess.

It had been surprisingly easy, to emerge himself into his alien side. It was so much easier than constantly fighting to be human. He could feel the power surging around him, the warm golden healing glow pulsing around him, absorbing into him. But that wouldn't be enough…his brow furrowed in concentration as he sought out the connection that joined him and Tess together. After a moment, he finally found it and had to bit his lip from crying out in pain. How had he ignored this? How could he not have known this was the pain she was enduring?

The connection, the joining of their souls, it allowed them to feel each other so to speak. He could feel her presence in his mind and heart, where she'd always been since before he'd even met her. How he thought Liz could ever compete with that was beyond him. He could feel the pain she was in, feel the heat that had consumed her. He had to stop it.

Slowly, he turned his attention back to Tess, gliding along the connection he'd forged with her, he soon found himself in the red place that Isabel had mentioned on the drive over. But something was wrong; the walls that surrounded him were now covered in angry dark red cracks. He knew, that couldn't be good.

The monitors that Is had mentioned were flickering, the images coming in broken up, some even flickering out. He took a step forward, trying to reach the 'pit' as Isabel had put it, but stopped suddenly. A number of monitors had dislodged themselves and were hurtling towards him!

He tried to move, to duck, to hide, to do something to avoid them. But he found that he couldn't move; only stare as the monitors crashed into him. He was assaulted by flash after flash; memories of Tess' life hitting him like a truck. He saw her as she emerged from her pod, the feeling of utter abandonment surrounding him; he saw her in a park, sitting alone as the other children played around her; he saw her at what must have been a school dance in her early teens, standing to the side like the wallflower he knew she wasn't meant to be.

He watched helplessly as Nasaedo trained her in her powers, striking her if she did not succeed. He flinched with every smack she was dealt. He gazed on as her memories of them came to him, of when they had first met…when they had pushed her away. He felt her pain when he'd pushed her away after learning of his destiny, when Isabel stopped talking to her, when Michael practically interrogated her. He even saw her dreams, of him and Tess just talking or spending time together…was that really all she had wanted from him? How could he have denied her that small desire?

He shut his eyes, concentrating on moving, pushing himself to break through whatever had trapped him where he stood. Slowly he started moving forward and soon he was running at break neck speed within the confines of Tess' mind. And before he knew it, he found himself in the pitch-black room. The flames sprang to life as soon as he entered, illuminating Tess' figure in the fire dome.

"Tess!" he shouted, running toward the fire. He made it within a foot of it before the flames grew higher, forcing him to take a step back.

"Max?" Tess asked weakly, barely able to lift her head to look at him. He could tell there wasn't much time before Tess slipped away before his very eyes, "What are you doing here?"

The last part was spoken so quietly that Max barely heard it, "I'm here to save you…" and with that he jumped through the flames, for once not caring about himself, more concerned about the girl that was trapped with in them.

To say that the flames didn't hurt would be a lie. He could feel their heat, the flames licking him as he jumped through. It burned, he wouldn't deny it, it hurt…but Tess was more important.

He knelt down and immediately started to heal her with an ease he'd never known he had. He was barely conscious, not even looking at him, but he healed her. He sent out his energy, through Tess and into the floor…the energy flowed past the flames, killing them as it made its way through. The floor started glowing with the energy coming from Max, the room starting to brighten as the flames died out. Soon…they were gone…

Max helped Tess stand; she was still pretty shaky and weak from her ordeal, but smiling. She looked up as the room grew brighter and brighter till she felt herself fade away…

She blinked slightly, squinting as she tried opening her eyes. Her eyelids felt extremely heavy, even though she knew she'd been asleep for about a week, she felt like she'd been awake for a month. The light in the room was dimmed slightly with the setting sun as she looked around. Max was sitting back a little, breathing heavily, Michael was standing by the doorway smiling at her, and Isabel…was currently cutting off her circulation.

"Is…" Tess whispered, her voice hoarse, "I need to breathe…"

Isabel pulled away from her bear hug, "Sorry," she whispered as well, "I'm just so happy you're okay!" she pulled Tess back into a hug, swaying her from side to side as she did so.

Tess looked over her shoulder at Michael, begging him with her eyes to help her out. He laughed slightly, walking towards the two, placing a gentle hand on Isabel's shoulder. "Is…come on, give her some breathing room…"

Isabel pulled away when Michael spoke, hesitating a moment before jumping up and hugging him instead, tears falling from her face. He smiled, gently leading her away and out of the room. Tess let out a breath, running a hand self-consciously through her messy hair. It was still slightly damp with sweat, but she couldn't have cared less as her gaze landed on the only other person in the room. Max…he'd saved her…and to do that…he'd have to have accepted his alien side…and he did…for her…

"Thanks…" she said quietly, trying to stand from the bed.

Max was on his feet and next to her before she'd even managed to get her feet off the bed and onto the floor. He helped her stand, steadying her for a moment before doing something she'd never expected him to do…he hugged her. "You're welcome," he whispered to her, tightening his grip on her.

She let her eyes drift shut, just taking in the moment, of her in Max's arms…a place she'd never thought he'd willingly put her. She felt him pull back after a moment and opened her eyes. He was staring at her, with a look in his eyes she had never seen directed at her before…it was the look he often reserved for Liz and Liz only.

She barely had time to register that look when Max swooped down and captured her lips in a soul-searing kiss. Stars exploded in their heads as flash upon flash played out in their heads. Together they saw key moments from their past…the day they met, their wedding, their coronation…along with a few flashes of what they hoped was the future. They saw a boy, a small boy with dark brown hair and big blue eyes running towards them from a sea of red, three moons in the sky behind him…

They pulled apart when air became an issue. Max looked down at Tess, seeing a question in her eyes. He tilted his head to the side in wonder, and she spoke, "Max…what are we going to do about Liz?"

He simply laughed…Liz was no longer in the picture…not as long as he had Tess.

The End

A/N- Aww…it's over! I was originally going to end it with the 'what about Liz' remark…but then I thought that was a little to open of an ending. So I added that little line, I think it works. Hope you enjoyed!


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